Hi @yossie 

Thanks for your post!

I think you might have Alexa’s Follow-Up mode enabled in that room, as it sounds like the arc is continuing to volume “duck” after a command so it can listen for further instruction.

In the Alexa app, go to More » Settings » Communication » Alexa Devices » lroom name of Arc] »  your Arc] » Follow-Up Mode » disable to prevent this behaviour.

I hope this helps.

I wish that were true.  I checked and followup mode is OFF.

Hi @yossie 

Having two Alexa devices in one room isn’t ideal - if you temporarily power-off the Echo (or disable the microphone) does the Arc cease ducking sooner, after following the command?

If this doesn’t make a difference, is the Arc enclosed at all, eg. in a cabinet open at the front but with a surface above the Arc? Aside from the detrimental effect this would have on the Arc’s Atmos height channels, it may increase the microphones ability to pick up TV audio, making Alexa have to “think” about whether there’s a command or not.

If that doesn’t apply either, I recommend uninstalling Alexa from the Arc and adding it back on again. Both can be done from Settings » Services and Voice » Alexa in the Sonos app.

I hope this helps.

Maybe a better thing for me to do is explain what I am trying to do. I am using my ARC as an output only device for Alexa and for my TV.  I don’t want the ARC listening (and generally keep the microphone disabled.)  Please explain how to do this.  I do want the Alexa handling all listening tasks and feedback for commands should be on the Alexa, no ARC.  ARC should only be used to playback sound.

So the wake word on the Echo is “Echo”?

My Alexa wake word is “echo”.

I assume when you say ‘I want the Alexa handling…. “ you mean the Echo.

No, your wake word on the Arc is “Alexa” and your wake word on your Echo is “Echo”.

I am not entirely sure this would work, but could you:

1. Uninstall Alexa voice control from the Arc
2. In the Alexa app, group your echo (as the Alexa device), the Arc (as speaker) and your lights

I would expect the Arc to duck as you give the command “Echo, turn on lights”.  But that is what I would want.

I know, but I don't want the ARC listening at all.  I want to use my Alexa (wake word Echo) for all listening purposes.  I want the ARC to be a speaker only.

Please see my post that crossed with yours.  And please stop referring to your Echo as your Alexa.

@yossie 
Can’t you just tap the mic on the Arc and switch it off? Then remove the Arc and its Alexa component from all groups in the Amazon App? 
 

Note too there is an option in the Amazon App to make the Arc the default output speaker for the echo device (even with the Arc mic switched off)  - so that’s another option, but you need them in the same Alexa Group to do that.

OP said that he generally keeps mic switched off anyway.  But on the face of it I agree with you.

Actually I have an almost identical setup with an Arc (‘Living Room’) and echo Dot (‘Amazon Lounge Alexa) but both use the Alexa wake word and I have both mics enabled. Both devices are set as controlling/enabling devices in the same Amazon Alexa Group (photo of group attached) and that works well for me for ducking purposes etc. FWIW

I removed the Alexa voice assistant from my ARC altogether (shows no voice assistant.)

I deleted the Sonos Device and Speaker from my Echo .  I left the Sonos skill installed.

On my echo I added a “speaker” - re-discovered the ARC, and verified that the ARC is now a speaker in my Echo Group.

I validated the follow-up is disabled on the Echo.

I reset (unplugged) both devices.

I still get the ~15 second “ducking” on my ARC after my Echo answers a question:

• me: echo, play radio station
• echo: playing radio station on sonos
• sonos: starts playing
• me: echo what time is it
• echo: it is XX:XX
• sonos: volume drops very low ~15 seconds before returning to normal

Followup:  Once I removed the Sonos from the Echo Group, but left it as the default speaker, things appear to work right now.

Well done for sorting out that last step. I do recall now that the speakers listed as members of a group will duck tor the command, while speakers listed as speakers are the ones that play the sound

After my last change yesterday, the problem was FIXED.  For a few hours, anyway.  This morning it came back with a vengeance.  Now, despite the speaker being selected in the Alexa app, the echo, when voice instructed, only plays on internal speaker.  When I use the app, I can make it play on the ARC, but the ~15 second ducking is back, even though the Sonos is not in the Alexa group.  The whole thing is kinda weird and frustrating.  And, yes, I do get that Amazon and Sonos are separate companies talking over an API, but it can’t be that hard to get it to work, can it?

Instructions on this specific use case, that have been checked and proven would be very much appreciated.

The case being HOW to use an ARC as the music speaker for an Echo but retain the Echo as the listener, processor, and responder to voice commands.  Oh, and no ducking after a command is processed.

Maybe try the setup I’m using above with both (Echo/Sonos) products in the same group as that works just fine for me and also ensure that an echo device elsewhere in the home is not picking up the wake word (if you perhaps internal doors open etc.)

EXCEPT that introduces the ~15 second “ducking” after an Echo command finishes executing.  Apparently can’t win this one for trying..  I am back to square one.

I don’t have the 15 second ‘ducking’ that you mention, so you must have another issue/setting elsewhere in the Alexa App that’s causing that. As soon as I finish the instruction, the audio level of the Arc returns almost immediately.

Do you have ‘brief mode’ enabled in the voice responses area of the Alexa app?

I DO have brief mode selected.  I didn’t have whisper mode, but I will turn it on, though I can’t imagine how it might impact this issue.

No I doubt Whisper mode would have any bearing - I take it you have checked the properties of both the Arc Alexa component and the echo device to ensure ‘follow-up’ mode is disabled on both those devices?

Maybe post a screenshot of your relevant Alexa ‘enabled’ group too so I can take a glance and see if I can see anything else that maybe the cause.

I have disabled followup on my Echo (Devices->Echo and Alexa->Living Room Echo->GEAR->Follow-up Mode - OFF.

Where is “Arc Alexa component” to be found?  My ARC has no voice assistant defined at this time so the ARC shows up in Alexa as a Speaker connected Via Sonos with no GEAR.